#BBB NEWS| Senate President Saraki Begs Billionaire Judge To Deliver Judgement On Suit Challenging His Trial

Embattled Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, yesterday, begged Justice Abdul Kafarati of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to go ahead and deliver judgement on the suit challenging his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

This came on a day the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, distanced itself from the decision of Justice Kafarati to decline ruling in the fundamental human rights enforcement case brought before him by Senate President.

Justice Kafarati had on Tuesday, disqualified himself from the matter which was originally scheduled for judgement, owing to bribery allegation levelled against him by two online media outlets. However, Saraki, yesterday, said he was dissatisfied that the judge was blackmailed by his enemies to hands off the suit that was ripe for judgement.

#BBB NEWS| Supreme Court To Decide Saraki's Fate Today

On Friday, the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki, will learn whether or not he will face the trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

Today, the Supreme Court will rule on his appeal challenging the decision of the Appeal Court, which upheld the decision that tribunal has the authority to try him for corruption-related charges.

A 3-man panel on the Supreme Court on December 4, 2015, ordered a stay of proceeding by the tribunal, pending the determination of the appeal and asked the counsels to exchange their brief of argument within 14 days. The apex court then fixed February 5, 2016, to deliver its judgement.                                        

Mr. Saraki argued that the CCT lacked jurisdiction to try him because it was not properly constituted, as it comprised two instead of three members provided for by the Constitution. In addition, the Senate President stated that the charges were not competently made.

#BBB NEWS| Supreme Court To Hear Senate President Saraki’s Appeal Against Corruption Trial On Thursday

The Supreme Court has picked Thursday for hearing on the appeal filed by Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

The apex court’s decision to hear the appeal this week was contained in hearing notices sent to parties in the case, a copy of which The Nation sighted on Monday.

Saraki is challenging the decision of the Code of Conduct tribunal (CCT) to assume jurisdiction over the false asset declaration charges brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

The Court of Appeal, in a split decision of two-to-one upheld the CCT’s jurisdiction to hear the charges, a decision Saraki appealed at the Supreme Court.

#BBB NEWS| Senate President Saraki Appeals Corruption Trial At The Supreme Court

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has appealed to the Supreme Court against the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which affirmed the jurisdiction of Code of Conduct Tribunal ( CCT ) to try him on 13 counts of false assets declaration.

He is praying for the Supreme Court to stop his trial before the CCT over the alleged offences pending the determination of his appeal.

He is seeking, “an order staying further proceedings in Charge No: CCT/ABJ/01/2015 between Federal Republic of Nigeria vs Dr. Olubukola Abubakar Saraki fixed for hearing on 5th and 6th of November, 2015 pending the determination of the appeal pending before the Supreme Court against the judgment of the Court of Appeal dated 30th October, 2015.”

Saraki raised seven grounds of appeal in his notice attached to the application for stay of proceedings, urging the Supreme Court to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, the entire proceedings of the CCT and the charges preferred against him before the tribunal.

#BBB NEWS| Senate President Bukola Saraki Commits To Zero Tolerance For Corruption

Senate President Bukola Saraki declared during a meeting with anti-corruption agencies that he is committed to “a zero tolerance” policy on corruption in the National Assembly.

These statements were made during a July 6th meeting with the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offense Commission (ICPC), Mr. Ekpo Nta, and representatives from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB).

The meeting was held at the National Assembly and was called to brief Senate President Saraki and other Senators on the activities of the anti-corruption agencies.

A top Saraki aide repeated these commitments during a phone interview; he said “Senator Saraki is committed to having a zero tolerance for all corruption in the National Assembly.” He added, “he [Senator Saraki] will work with the Buhari administration to fight corruption.”

#BBB NEWS| I Dropped My Presidential Ambition For Buhari — Saraki

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has denied reports that he is nursing the ambition for presidency in 2019, saying he actually quit his presidential bid in the 2015 election for President Muhammadu Buhari.

Saraki stated that he contributed immensely to the emergence of Buhari as President and contributed greatly to his victory in the presidential election held on March 28, 2015.

The Senate President, who spoke to select journalists in an exclusive interview in Abuja on Saturday, also denied having plans to dump the All Progressives Congress due to the ongoing crisis in the party over his leadership of the Senate.

Rather, he said what remained paramount in his mind at the moment was how to support the Buhari-led administration to tackle the various social and economic problems confronting the country.

#BBB NEWS| Senator Saraki 'Elected' Senate President While APC Senators Were Meeting With Buhari

Senator Bukola Saraki, backed by minority senators of the All Progressives Congress and those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who earlier endorsed him today "emerged" as the President of the Senate. Source learnt 57 senators were present at today's meeting at the National Assembly.

The "election" was presided over by the Clerk of the National Assembly.The election held was majority of his party members were meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Center in Abuja, a meeting Saraki shunned.

The Kwara state senator led a group of renegade senators from the ruling All Progressives Congress in a revolt against the party hierarchy which had chosen a different candidate for the office of Senate president.